Press Releases
Restructured Hospital Arrears
29 February 2012
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28 February 2012
Question No. 137
Name of person: Mrs Lina Chiam
Question
To ask the Minister for Health from 2008 to 2011 (a) what is the total amount of monies owed by patients in restructured hospitals; (b) what is the number of patients who owed hospital bills in respect of (i) permanent residents and foreigners; and (ii) Singaporeans; and (c) what means does the restructured hospitals use to collect these unpaid bills.
Answer
1 More than 96% of the restructured hospital patients settle their bills within two months. The total arrears owed by patients that exceeded two months, on a cumulative basis, was $75 million as at end-2008 and about $110 million as at end-2011. These figures include arrears brought forward from prior years. They also include patients who are paying their outstanding bills by instalments, or are awaiting assessment for financial assistance by the hospitals. A significant part of the arrears are eventually recovered or paid up over time, but a portion will become bad debt and have to be written off. The total amount written off in FY2008, FY2009 and FY2010 was $27 million, $26 million and $37 million respectively.
2 For 2011 bills alone, as at end-2011, there were 136,000 bills outstanding for two months or more1, translating to $48 million in total arrears. 83% of these outstanding bills were incurred by Singaporean patients.
3 Generally, the hospitals will send patients a reminder if they do not settle their bills within a month. There will be subsequent reminders in the following months if necessary, by mail and telephone. When there is still no response, some hospitals may refer the case to an authorised debt collection agency to collect the arrears on their behalf. At any time, should a patient express problems paying his or her hospital bill, the hospital will assess the case and explore options for financial assistance, such as instalment payments or Medifund assistance.
1 Arrears would be based on bills incurred in the first ten months of 2011 only.